Turkey season opener almost here

Monday

Apr 15, 2013 at 9:17 PM

The last two weeks of April are here and hunters with a permit for the first season, April 22-28, will get the initial shot.Regardless of first hunt or last hunt, there should be a healthy number of turkeys for hunters to pursue this spring. The DNR estimates there to be more than 200,000 turkeys in Michigan, enough to support the sixth largest turkey harvest in the nation.

Mark Spencley

By MARK SPENCLEYmark@cheboygantribune.comCHEBOYGAN — Turkey season gets started in less than a week, and despite the colder temperatures, action is right on schedule.Because of how the calendar falls this year, turkey season is opening later in the month than usual, but a colder than usual spring still has snow on the ground across much of northern Michigan. Breeding action will still be running hot and heavy, and open fields will be the places to look for it. The number of strutting gobblers displaying in fields is a clear indicator of the hot start first week hunters can probably look forward to.According to Al Stewart, Department of Natural Resources upland game bird specialist, the annual spring breeding frenzy is right on time."It can fluctuate a little bit, but it's generally during those last two weeks of April, that's not to say breeding doesn't occur in May. It does, but peak breeding is usually in the last two weeks of April," he said.The last two weeks of April are here and hunters with a permit for the first season, April 22-28, will get the initial shot.Regardless of first hunt or last hunt, there should be a healthy number of turkeys for hunters to pursue this spring. The DNR estimates there to be more than 200,000 turkeys in Michigan, enough to support the sixth largest turkey harvest in the nation."This spring, there are many hunting options and opportunities for people to choose from, and turkey numbers are generally good across the state," said Stewart.The weather for the opening week of turkey season should be reasonable. Meteorologist are calling for temps in the 40s and low 50s, nothing like last spring, when the turkey season opener saw temps in the 70s, but still comfortable for birds and hunters alike.Each of the first two area turkey hunts is limited to one week, the second running from April 29 – May 5 this year. The final hunt lasts significantly longer, beginning on May 6 and carrying through the remainder of the month.